


Return to Canto Bight

by TigStripe



Series: End of an Era [5]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canto Bight, Finn adventure, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 07:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13406427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigStripe/pseuds/TigStripe
Summary: Now an official part of the re-established Resistance, Finn is sent on a mission with the ever-lovely Suralinda Javos in an attempt to persuade the rich folk of Canto Bight to contribute to their cause. Of course, as is the norm with Suralinda, something goes terribly wrong, and life-threatening chases ensue.





	1. A PR Nightmare

“Nope, nope, nope!” Finn lowered his head as blaster bolts sailed over his head. “I'm _not_ okay with this!”

“Oh, buck up, soldier,” Finn's accomplice said with a laugh. She bent her arm up and over the barrier keeping them alive and returned some fire without looking. Finn heard a grunt and a loud thump. She'd hit someone.

“Do these kinds of things always happen to you on missions?” Finn demanded, looking over the barrier and aiming his blaster. He fired a small burst of shots and retreated again.

“What, this? This is _easy_.”

Finn just gave her an unamused gaze.

 

Two days ago, Finn had been called up to the command center by General Organa for a mission briefing. When he arrived, he saw an unfamiliar humanoid woman with blue, scale-like skin and long hair standing at the briefing table.

“Ah, Captain,” the General said with a smile on her face, “I'm glad you're here.” She looked past Finn at the doorway. “No Commander tagging alongside you this morning? That's a rarity nowadays.”

Finn felt his face warm up a little. “No, he's uh, he's still asleep.”

The woman standing next to Leia laughed a somewhat hissy, reptilian laugh. “That's Poe for you.” She looked Finn up and down, then extended a hand. “So you're Finn. It's an honor. I'm Suralinda Javos. Call me Sura. I just recently arrived with the rest of my Resistance Arm.”

Finn took her hand and shook it. Her scales were surprisingly skin-like, soft to the touch, but he could sense how durable they were.

“Please, Captain, join us,” the General said, indicating an empty chair at the table. Finn and Suralinda both sat down attentively.

“What can I do for you, General?” Finn asked.

“To be frank,” General Organa began, “we need money, we need recruits, and we need publicity. We're attempting to run a Resistance on the leftovers from what we had before, plus what Beyton is supplying us. We can't continue on this path alone.” She indicated the reptilian woman beside her. “Suralinda is sort of the Resistance's PR agent. She's come through in the past, and I believe she can help us again now.”

“Okay,” Finn replied. He had _no_ idea what any of that meant. The Order was never hurting for money. “So we have a plan to get all that stuff?”

Suralinda leaned forward and grinned. Her yellow eyes were unusual to Finn, but beautiful in their own right. “Have you ever heard of Canto Bight?” she whispered with a toothy grin.

 

Poe was _not_ particularly pleased when Finn told him the news of the mission. After Finn finished telling him the plan, the first thing out of Poe's mouth was, “Watch your back, Finn. Suralinda's amazing, but _things happen_ around her. Nothing ever goes smoothly for her.”

“She seemed to know you pretty well,” Finn said. “History?”

Poe – still sitting on the bed in nothing but his leggings – shook his disheveled head. “We used to be in the Republic Navy together. She's a crack shot and has a penchant for trouble.”

Finn sat down on the bed next to Poe. He placed his hand on Poe's knee. “This'll be my first mission away from the base without you,” he said.

Poe smiled sadly and placed his hand on Finn's. “And you'll do great. You're the toughest son of a bitch I know. Aside from Jess, but don't tell her I said that. We'd never hear the end of it,” he added with a smirk. Finn laughed.

“I guess I'm just nervous.”

“And that's why you'll be fine,” Poe insisted. “No one goes on missions without some nerves. If they do, they're crazy.” He moved his hand up to Finn's shoulder. “You've got this, buddy. Sura is a great partner.”

Finn faced Poe and nodded, still a little shaken. Poe leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead, then pressed their heads together. “You. Will. Be. Fine. I promise.”

Finn nodded. It wasn't so much that he was going on a mission, but that he was going on a mission with his only partner being someone so _new_ to him.

“Just make me one promise,” Poe said, looking Finn in the eye.

“What promise?”

“Promise me you'll try to come home.”

Finn nodded, and Poe kissed his forehead again. “Good. Now get out of here and go save the Resistance. Again.”

 

Poe wasn't wrong about Suralinda – trouble really seemed to follow her around.

The plan had been to bolster relations between the Resistance and the money-grubbing elite of Canto Bight to procure more weapons, gather the sympathy vote from the well-to-do for donations, and encourage recruitment via daring tales of the heroes of the Resistance.

Finn being one of said heroes.

When Finn signed on for this mission, he didn't realize that Suralinda would try to use Finn as a posterboy for the Resistance. He'd done quite a few things for the Resistance, it was true, but standing him on a street corner and heralding the greatness of “Captain Finn” wasn't what he had in mind. _She even had posters with his face on them._

Luckily, they'd already met with several high-rollers from the casino (including a well-mannered man in a white overcoat with a red plom bloom pin on his lapel – Finn couldn't help but _wonder_ ) and procured quite a donations list. That was the _easy_ part of the mission. They hadn't yet talked with any weapons dealers before Sura had decided that the time was right to drum up some publicity.

It didn't take long for someone to recognize Finn. Several local law enforcement officers hailed at the two of them from the back of the crowd in the street. When he saw them, Finn felt his throat close. He ducked out of sight rather quickly, leaving Suralinda confused and alone.

She soon followed behind him, trying to get him to explain.

“It's a long story” was Finn's only reply. He led Sura down an alleyway and up onto a balcony, out of view from the street. They caught their breath there, brainstorming their next move.

“So that's an oversight,” Sura muttered. “I didn't expect a hero of the Resistance, one of the Starkiller Killers, to be wanted on Canto Bight.” She made a face that Finn figured was amused.

“The 'Starkiller Killers?'”

“It's the name I've started calling you guys,” Sura replied with a shrug. “You, Poe, Chewbacca, Rey...anyone who was involved and survived, really. Jess _loves_ it.”

Finn chuckled, then cleared his throat. “So what's the plan now? You're kind of the one in charge here.”

Suralinda fell into thought. After a moment, she grinned up at Finn. “I have an idea that we can still drum up some support and get out of here, but you may not like it.”

Finn swallowed hard and nodded. Whatever it was, he'd do it.

 

Finn walked onto the street as casually as he could with his heart pounding in his ears. He was only a few meters from the crowd where the law enforcement had seen him. A cloaked figure (with shockingly blue scaled skin) made a dramatic gasp and pointed at Finn. “Isn't that the Resistance guy? That's Captain Finn!”

The crowd stopped and looked at Finn with mixed expressions – some were excited, others angered, and others still were simply confused.

“ _Stop him!_ ”

Much to Finn's surprise, it wasn't law enforcement that began pursuit. Sura gasped for real as three Stormtroopers surged through the crowd, rifles at the ready. People parted as well as they could for them, opening a direct path to Finn. Finn himself felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. In a cold sweat, he turned tail and ran.

The Troopers chased Finn down a main street, dodging people and other obstacles without much trouble. Finn started toward an alleyway and they opened fire to deter him. He ducked back and behind a small speeder parked on the side of the street. He took out his personal blaster and started to return fire.

A near-miss almost singed the hair on Finn's head. He ducked back behind cover, cursing his decision to go along with this ridiculous plan.

“Nope, nope, nope,” Finn cried, hunkered down, “I'm _not_ okay with this!”

“Oh, buck up, soldier,” Suralinda said as she slunk down next to him. She'd appeared from a small side alley. She drew her own personal blaster and aimed wildly over the speeder. Finn heard a cry from somewhere in that direction, but it didn't particularly sound like a Stormtrooper.

“Do these kinds of things always happen to you on missions?” Finn demanded. The amount of fire overhead seemed to increase. Finn couldn't help but wonder if more Stormtroopers had appeared.

“What, this? This is _easy_.” The look on Suralinda's face betrayed how excited she was. Finn just shook his head.

“Need some help?”

Finn looked over at the back alley to see a man in a leather jacket hidden in the shadows. He was grinning, but Finn didn't know why. Suddenly, Finn heard some grunts from the far side of the speeder. The blaster fire stopped almost immediately. Finn looked over the speeder to see the Stormtroopers collapsed on the street with a burly man and a tiny woman standing behind them. They both waved to Finn and grinned. Finn waved back hesitantly.

“Who are you?” Sura asked.

“It's best if we don't say,” the man in the alley said. He leaned on a nearby wall. “But we know who you are, Finn.”

Finn and Suralinda stood up behind the speeder and approached the man in the alleyway. They were tailed by the two in the street.

Sura crossed her arms and looked at the man in the jacket suspiciously. “Is this some kind of Canto Bight rebellion?” she asked.

The man laughed. “No, not exactly. We're just citizens who don't like the First Order.”

Sura smiled. “Then we at least have that in common. Wouldn't be interested in coming back with us to join the Resistance, would you?”

“We don't have much to offer a bunch of starfighter pilots and technicians,” the man said with a shrug. “We just have street smarts.”

“You'd be surprised how much of the Resistance is built on instinct, not skill,” Suralinda replied. “But hey, I'm not gonna press it. Not my decision.”

“Attention citizens,” boomed a roaming police shuttle. It passed the alley without noticing them. “Return to your homes. A signal will be used to let you know when it is safe to return to your normal activities.”

“Looks like they're doing a sweep for us,” the jacketed man said, his eyes following the polic shuttle. “Let's get out of here before they find us.”

“I need a name before I go anywhere with you,” Finn said. “I don't trust people without names.”

“Fair enough,” the man in the jacket said. “You can call me Luke. That's Leia, and that's Han.”

“Those aren't your names,” Finn replied flatly.

“Luke” grinned. “But they _are_ names. Shall we go?”

“Go where, exactly?” Suralinda asked.

Luke motioned rather affectionately toward a manhole cover further into the alleyway.

“Home,” he said.

 


	2. The Undercity of Canto Bight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Suralinda are introduced to a weapons dealer in a secret hideout below Canto Bight's city streets. Things are cut short when Finn discovers the First Order are on Canto Bight for a very specific reason.

“What _is_ this place?” Finn asked, unable to focus on anything for longer than a second or two.

Luke's little band had helped Finn and Suralinda escape into the sewers below Canto Bight, but the real trick was where they led them from there. After a couple of twists and turns, the party appeared at a subterranean cavern filled with makeshift houses, beautiful murals, and even some marketplace stalls. People bustled to and fro, droids went about their business, and there was even someone who looked suspiciously like law enforcement patrolling the main area.

Finn had never dreamed of any place like this underground. It was like an entire city underneath Canto Bight.

“Welcome to the _real_ Canto Bight,” Luke said with a grandiose wave of his arm.

“This is incredible,” Finn whispered.

Suralinda was impressed, as well. “I've seen poverty streets before, but this takes the cake,” she said with an approving nod. “How many people live here?”

“I couldn't answer that if I wanted to,” Luke replied. “People come and go all the time. That security officer there?” He pointed to the law enforcement personnel Finn had already noticed. “He's an _actual_ security officer. He comes down here every so often just to break up fights if he sees them. No other reason.”

“He doesn't arrest people?” Sura asked.

Luke shook his head. “He doesn't uphold the law down here. He just keeps the peace.”

“So what is the law down here? Survival of the fittest?” Sura wondered.

Leia – a particularly petite woman in a sleeveless tunic and a dagger tattooed under her left eye – was the one to speak. “It's 'help each other out.'”

“This is incredible, but why show us this?” Finn asked.

Luke shrugged. “Well, the First Order wants you dead. That's as good a reason as any to help you out. And I think we can do you one better, too.”

The trio led Finn and Sura down the main strip. Finn saw quite a few people glance in his direction, but he wasn't sure if they were looking at him or the beautiful, snakelike Suralinda. Probably a little of both, if Finn had to guess.

Finally, they stopped in front of a house that was _definitely_ out of place – it was a completely constructed building, complete with electricity and automatic door. Considering the other houses down here that Finn had seen, this house's owner probably owned the whole undercity.

“This is Babal's house,” Luke explained. “He's one of the only people that spends any real amount of time down here that has ties with the First Order.”

Sura put a defiant hand on her hip. “Wait, why would you bring us to a First Order sleezeball?”

Finn grinned, already having put it together. “Just because he has _ties_ with the First Order doesn't mean he's loyal to them. Is he a weapons dealer?”

“One of the most profitable ones in the city,” Luke replied. “He's done business with the Republic, too, and I think even the Resistance.”

“Makes me wonder if he's the one whose ship we stole last time I was here,” Finn said with a chuckle. He _did_ remember seeing DJ go through a sales registry with both First Order and Republic fighters on that ship.

Sura raised an eyebrow in Finn's direction. “That's a story I'll need to hear,” she muttered.

“Ask Poe,” Finn replied. “Or wait, never mind. Don't ask Poe. It's probably a touchy subject.”

“Speaking of Poe,” Suralinda said, “think we should check in with the ol' Commander before we meet this Babal guy?”

“It couldn't hurt,” Finn replied. “But I'd like to do it away from public view.”

“There's an empty bungalow over there,” Han said, pointing a ham-sized hand at a rather run-down looking bivouac nearby. Finn wondered if anyone actually chose to live there.

“Beats the street,” Sura said with a shrug. She led Finn over to the “building” and moved some hanging cloth to obscure the view from roaming eyes.

Finn started fiddling with his comms device when Sura poked him in the shoulder, grinning. “No kissy faces over the comms,” she said with a wink.

“We're all business,” Finn muttered, his face burning.

The comms beeped. A hologram of Poe from the chest up appeared over Finn's arm. He was in his regular leather jacket, but his hair was a bit tousled and he had bags under his eyes. He clearly had not been sleeping well.

“Poe?”

“Hey, buddy!” Despite his tired appearance, Poe's grin was as big as Finn had ever seen. “It's about time you checked in. The General's been a little worried. I guess I have been, too. Rey's been getting onto me for not sleeping enough. But it's hard to sleep when I know you won't be there where I wake up.”

Suralinda stifled a laugh and had to excuse herself before she said something she knew Finn would regret later.

“What was that?” Poe asked.

“Just a hobo,” Finn replied. Sura kicked him in the leg from the other side of the draped cloth.

“How is it going, though? Has Sura's curse hit you yet?”

“Probably,” Finn said. He explained the Stormtroopers in the main street and their valiant escape through the sewers. Poe's face drew closer and closer to horrified with each breath Finn took.

“But now we think we may have a contact we can use for the Resistance,” Finn finished.

Poe didn't say anything at first. “That's quite a story,” he finally said. “I'm proud of ya, pal.”

Finn couldn't help but grin, but the grin disappeared when Poe's face looked down suddenly and he started yelping for something to stop. “Poe? What's going on?”

Poe rolled his eyes. “Hang on.” His form disappeared, replaced by BB-8's top dome. It beeped wildly, mostly happy beeps from what Finn could tell. “BB-8. Stop. He can't understand – no, don't give me that tone.” Poe's face reappeared. “BB-8 misses you. More than I do, or so it says.”

“ _That_ is adorable,” Sura said. She'd rejoined Finn during the furious beeping, curious as to what exactly was happening.

“Hey, Sura,” Poe said with a smirk. “Look after my boy, will you? And you take care of her, too, Finn.”

“Is that an order, Commander?” Finn joked. Poe grinned.

“Get back to work, Finn. I love you. Be careful. You made a promise.”

“I know,” Finn replied, smiling softly. “I love you, too.”

Poe ended the transmission. Finn moved his hand up to the lump on his sternum for a moment before looking at Suralinda with a wide, confident grin. “Let's go talk to this Babal guy.”

 

Babal was an ancient Twi'lek with emerald skin and wise eyes. He was surrounded by bodyguards when his butler (“Really? A _butler_ down here?” Finn asked.) brought Finn and Sura to him. He was reading a tome that looked older than the Clone Wars when he noticed their presence. He looked at them with a cloudy expression. He was not sure what to make of his visitors.

“To what do I owe this intrusion?” Babal asked, marking his place in his book and closing it gently. Finn wondered what kind of book that was – they were so rare nowadays, it must have been worth a small fortune.

Luke bowed his head a little. “Mister Babal. I'd like to present one of the heroes of the Resistance, Finn.”

Finn saw Babal's eyes widened and a sharp-toothed grin form across his face. Finn suddenly felt uncomfortable. “Ah, the great Finn. Welcome! I've heard much about your adventures with the Resistance.”

Finn bowed his head in appreciation. “I'm here trying to gather supplies for the Resistance,” he said.

“Ahhh. I see.” Babal's lekku twitched. Finn didn't know if that was good or bad. “I would be happy to rebuild our trade agreements. I've heard you all have set up in a new, permanent home, is that right? Yavin IV, is that right?”

Finn felt a cold chill run up and down his spine. “That's-”

Babal laughed. “Do not worry, brave Finn.” He stood up and brushed out the wrinkles on his suit. “My clients have the utmost secrecy when I deal with them. And between deals, I assure you.”

It was still disconcerting, and Suralinda's expression showed Finn she felt similarly.

Babal clapped his clawed hands together. “Now. Let's get down to business, shall we?”

 

Negotiations ran for hours. Finally, utilizing many of Suralinda's connections with the casino above, the Resistance was able to cinch a deal with Babal's factories. Finn felt uneasy about the agreement, but Sura assured him that it was a good deal. Babal seemed more supportive of the Resistance than the Order, and that seemed to come through in their dealings.

Just as Finn and Babal stood to shake hands, Luke appeared, escorted by one of Babal's bodyguards. “Excuse me, Mister Babal,” Luke said with a quick bow, “but you should see this.”

Curious, Finn followed Babal to his study, where Luke enabled a live holofeed from the surface. He immediately wished he hadn't.

“-not suffer. They will grow strong, as a part of the First Order's Next Wave of Stormtroopers, to help establish order and peace throughout the galaxy.” The pasty-faced man on the holo wore a First Order officer's attire, but Finn was focused on the man's face, which had haunted him several times in his dreams over the past few weeks.

_General Hux._

Suddenly, Finn was back on the First Order ship, forced to his knees, surrounded by Stormtroopers. Hux stood in front of him. Poe was forced to the floor next to Finn. The crackle of electro-glaives sparked the air. Hux sneered down at them, as if they were bugs he'd accidentally stepped on and ruined his good boots.

“Finn?”

Finn blinked. Suralinda had placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Finn, you with us?” she asked, concerned.

Finn nodded. “What's the General doing here?” he asked Luke.

Luke shook his head. “They're rounding up viable options for _trainees_.”

There were few things in this world that Finn hated. There were even fewer _words_ Finn hated. But the moment the word escaped Luke's lips, Finn felt a searing hatred that threatened to send him into a blind rage. His breathing quickened, his skin warmed, his eyes lost focus for a moment.

“Mister Finn,” Babal said, “is something the matter?”

“'Trainees.' You said 'trainees.' As in,” Finn managed to push out through gritted teeth.

Luke nodded solemnly. “They're rounding up children for the Order.”

Suralinda shook her head. “That's awful.”

“Indeed,” Babal agreed.

Finn stormed out of the house, into the undercity, not really sure where he was headed yet. He passed by Leia and Han, who were surprised by his sudden appearance. Finn took in his surroundings, trying to clear his head and foster an idea of what to do next. The First Order was here in force, it would appear, and he felt a personal draw to stop them this time.

This wasn't like Starkiller base. Finn wasn't trying to rescue Rey. This wasn't like the evacuation from D'Qar. Finn wasn't trying to save the Resistance. This wasn't even like defending the base on Yavin. This was a new sensation. This was a _desire_ to make the First Order hurt. And Finn _liked_ the idea of making the Order hurt.

Rey probably wouldn't approve. Poe probably would, though.

 _Turn it on its head,_ Finn thought, finally stopping long enough to take a deep breath. _Those children are the priority, not the Order._

“Finn, you okay?” Leia asked as she and Han approached.

Finn looked at the two of them and asked, “Do you guys know where they're taking those kids?”

Han crossed his arms and nodded. “There's a station on the other side of town from the casino,” he said. “It's where the Order usually docks.”

Finn grinned. “Thanks.” He turned away from them, but someone calling out to him stopped him.

Suralinda grabbed Finn's shoulder. “Finn, what are you doing?” she demanded.

“I have to stop the Order from taking those kids,” Finn replied, not looking at her.

“That's not our mission,” Sura replied, squeezing his shoulder for emphasis. “Don't jeopardize the good you've done here already by getting yourself killed.”

Finn rounded on Sura, fire in his eyes. “ _Stay out of this_. You grew up in the Republic. You have no idea what I went through. What those _kids_ will go through, if we don't stop this here and now.”

Sura released Finn's shoulder, sadness creeping into her eyes. “I don't know what you went through,” she admitted, “but I know what it's like to owe your existence to poor circumstance. My kind was almost wiped out because of the Empire. But I'm not on a warpath to stop the Order from doing it to someone else. I fight the Order in the ways that I can – with patience and a clear mind.”

Finn felt a nagging sensation in the back of his mind. Sura was right about that part – if he just rushed off to the docks with no plan, he would likely get himself killed. He sighed and hung his head, thinking.

“Listen,” Sura said, placing a defiant hand on her hip, “I'll help. But you have to calm down. We do this right, or not at all.”

“What does that mean?” Finn asked, looking up at her.

Sura gave him a toothy grin. “Did anyone ever tell you I'm a reporter?”

 


	3. My Name is Finn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and Suralinda carry out a plan to help liberate the children of Canto Bight while trying to gather support for the Resistance at the same time.

Night had fallen, casting the docks into darkness broken by the artificial lights of Canto Bight. The waters below were pitch black, barely reflecting the dim stars overhead, and the back alleys leading to the docks were difficult to navigate. Finn stubbed his toe more than once trying to make his way to the transports now floating silently in the starship docks.

Finn poked his head out from behind a wall to analyze the situation, but all he could see was a line of young boys and girls – roughly eight to ten years of age – being marched slowly toward the docked transports. Many of them were whimpering or crying. Those who cried the loudest got slapped by a Stormtrooper and told to be quiet. All of the children had been redressed into bland grey pajama-like clothes which looked thin and breezy. Those that balked got hit. Those that protested got hit. Unless you were the perfect little child, you got hit. Finn had to take a few deep breaths to prevent himself from opening fire on the Stormtroopers right then and there. After all, one stray bolt meant a dead child.

No, if everything went well, he'd never even have to raise a blaster.

“In position,” Suralinda's voice piped into Finn's ear. After another moment, “Drones away.”

A young boy, a little smaller than the other children, fell forward onto his hands and knees. A Stormtrooper nearby walked over to him and, instead of helping him to his feet, kicked him lightly. Finn could just imagine what the Trooper was saying: “Get up, or you'll be the last one to eat tonight.” He felt that familiar burning tightness in his chest, but he shook it off. He couldn't stand to get emotional right now.

“Citizens of Canto Bight,” Sura's voice sounded in Finn's ear. “I have commandeered your holovid networks to bring you the reality of your choice in harboring the First Order within your walls. Your children were willingly given up to the First Order earlier today for promises of excellent education, training, skills, and unlocking their potential. This was a _lie._ The footage you see before you is how your children are being treated on the docks at this very moment. And if that isn't enough to make you think twice about your decision, I have someone you should meet.”

The Stormtroopers at the docks couldn't hear the broadcast, as their communications were isolated to their network. Finn knew it would take an official communicae to bring this to their attention. Finn heard the sound of a drone behind him. He turned to face it, hiding behind the wall to remain out of sight from the Troopers. With his eyes on the drone, Finn cleared his throat.

“My name is Finn. I'm a member of the Resistance, and I'm here to tell you what you've done to your children,” he said. “Like these children here, I was abducted from my homeworld by the First Order back when it was just a rumor. I grew up in the First Order. I know what these kids are going to go through.” He signalled the drone, and it peeked around the corner to the line of children.

“We were beaten daily. We were barely given enough food to survive, unless we did something right that day. We were pushed to be the best soldiers in the galaxy, and nothing else,” Finn said. He realized that he was tearing up. “But every single night, we just wanted to be back with our families. Back home. We didn't care if we were whipped or beaten. We just wanted to see the sun and feel the grass and get out of the sterile starship prison.”

“For a while, some of the kids tried to escape. They didn't make it. And I don't just mean that they didn't manage to escape,” Finn added heavily. “I've watched kids be beaten to death by First Order officers. I've been tortured by being right next to a kid that was executed by firing squad. The things I've seen, Canto Bight, would haunt your dreams forever.”

“Eventually, we became numb. We lost ourselves. We were given designations instead of names.” Finn reached up and felt the lump on his sternum before continuing. “It's amazing what a name means. It gives you an identity. It gives you a way to know you're different from everyone around you. When I was growing up as FN-2187, my world was dark and miserable. But the moment someone gave me the name Finn, it felt like I'd been reborn. My purpose in life was no longer to murder innocents and defend someone else's ideals. I had the freedom to look at the world and find a reason for myself in it. I will never forget the feeling of having a sense of self again. Simply accepting a new name gave me _life._ And your children are being robbed of that _right now_.”

“Wrap it up, Finn,” Suralinda whispered into Finn's comms. He could tell she was smiling.

The drone looked back at Finn. “My name is Finn. I am no longer FN-2187. I am _a person_ , which is exactly what the First Order doesn't want me to be. They don't care about you or your safety. They only care about everyone doing things their way, consequences be damned. Your children are not going to a place to be raised away from the dangers of the real world – they are being shipped off like cattle, to be slaughtered and reformed into machines. You will _never_ see your children again, unless you stand against the First Order and their twisted ideals.”

The drone blinked at Finn, signalling that it was no longer recording him. He took a deep breath, glad it was over.

“We've already got people out in the streets,” Sura said. “People are getting on speeders and shuttles. I think you just started a riot, Finn.”

“Are the drones still recording?” Finn asked, looking up at the black sky above the docks.

“Yep. I've got fourteen different camera angles watching those kids get bullied by the Stormtroopers.”

“Miss Sura, put the camera on me,” Babal's voice sounded over the comms. Finn raised his eyebrows. Babal wasn't part of the plan.

“Citizens of Canto Bight, this is Babal L'ylka,” Babal said, his voice more regal than Finn remembered. “My friends. I understand the First Order has given us a wonderful life. I will forever be grateful to them for the life I lead. This is the day, however, when we must stand together and put our collective foot down, for an injustice is being done to us, even us, those faithfully fulfilling our obligations to the Order. Those are our _children_. I will gladly continue my trade agreements with the First Order, but only if they can assure me that they will stop taking children from their loving homes. I urge you all to follow my lead.”

Finn smiled. _That_ should get the Order's attention. He noticed headlights down the road. People were coming to collect their children. He slid down the wall and into the shadows just in time for several speeders to race by on their way to the docks. It was time to watch what they'd done from a safe distance.

Finn met up with Luke and Suralinda on a balcony overlooking the docks. The people of Canto Bight weren't happy, although not everyone had been moved by Finn. Before long, an angry mob had swarmed the docks, grabbing children out of the lineup even if they weren't theirs. The Order retaliated, but there was only a small force to content with the crowds, most of which had access to blasters of all kinds. These _were_ weapons dealers, after all. Some hired muscle could also be seen in the crowds, and the Troopers soon found themselves overwhelmed.

“Do you think they'll retaliate on Canto Bight?” Suralinda asked.

“This place is toast,” Finn stated with unnerving ease. “It'll just be a matter of time before the Order turns this little riot into a personal insult and they rain down hell here.”

Luke shot Finn a dirty look. “You mean you just condemned our home to death?”

Finn shook his head. “You live on one of the largest weapons manufacturing planets out there. Even the First Order will think twice about randomly storming the beaches here.” He shrugged. “Besides. They know where the Resistance is. I'd bet that's more important to them right now.”

“Speaking of,” Sura said, “we should be getting back. I think we've done our jobs here.”

Finn looked over at Luke and grinned. “I'd ask if you wanted to come with us, but I think you're gonna be pretty needed around here when the Order starts poking its face in again.”

“Streets smarts, huh?” Luke asked.

Finn nodded and patted Luke on the back. “But really. What's your name?”

Luke shrugged. “It used to be LK-1043. I like 'Luke' better.”

Finn grinned even wider. “I like it, too.”

 

The trip back to Yavin was mostly uneventful, although Finn found himself really enjoying listening to Suralinda's tales about the Republic. He noticed just how much more lively their conversation was heading _home_ than their trip _to_ Canto Bight. Looking Suralinda in the eye, he smiled. It was nice having more friends.

As they touched down at the base, Sura looked at Finn and gave him one of her toothy grins. “I gave you a present, by the way,” she said slyly.

“A present?”

Suralinda laughed. “You'll know it when you see it.” And with that, she disembarked the shuttle and headed toward the command center to talk with the General.

Finn stepped out of the shuttle and saw the rest of his friends – Rey, BB-8, Rose, Jess and the other pilots, and Poe – waiting on him. He grinned when he saw them, as each one of them was smiling at him, as well.

Except Poe.

Finn walked up to Poe, his grin fading. Poe's eyes had dark bags under them, his hair was a mess, he wasn't clean shaven, and he looked like he had been crying. Suddenly concerned, Finn took Poe into a tight hug. Poe's arms wrapped around Finn and held on for forever.

“What's wrong?” Finn whispered.

Poe pulled out of the hug and Finn saw tears fall down his cheeks. “It really was the first thing that popped into my head,” he said.

Finn tilted his head, confused. “What?”

“Finn.” Poe laughed through a sob. “It was the first thing that popped into my head when you told me your designation. I didn't realize how important it was to you.”

Realization dawned on Finn. Suralinda had forwarded his recording to the base. Poe had heard all those sappy things about his name. Finn laughed, took Poe's face in his hands, and gave him a soft kiss. “It's the best thing about being me,” he said. Poe leaned in and put his head on Finn's shoulder, hugging him. Finn could feel his friend sobbing.

“We're going to have to get you used to me not being around all the time,” Finn said, patting Poe on the back. “You look like you were spit out the wrong end of a bantha.”

Everyone laughed. Together, they escorted Finn to the debriefing room.

 

Despite the issues they'd encountered early in their mission, Finn and Suralinda had performed their tasks admirably. Not only had they procured quite a donations list from some of the more well-off high-rollers in Canto Bight, but securing the weapons deal with Babal ensured they would have updated equipment in no time.

“We've also started receiving requests for enrollment,” Leia said, offering Finn a datapad. “Our droid network has been busy since you left. We've got over thirty people interested in relocating to Yavin. Not that they know where we are, yet,” she added with a laugh.

The list of names was indeed surprising. Finn spotted a name that he was pretty sure was Babal's butler. He chuckled to himself. “It's amazing what journalism can do,” he said, handing the datapad back to Leia.

“Indeed,” Leia agreed. “We've decided to broadcast that recording to all remaining Republic planets. Hopefully, we can drum up some support from the remnants of those who think the First Order are more than they say they are.”

“I'd just like to say that I, too, was moved by Finn's little speech,” Suralinda commented, rather casually. “That recording is going to go far in this recruitment drive.”

“Let's hope so,” Leia said. “The Republic is still very much alive, but beaten and scattered without its central governing body. Perhaps messages like Finn's – ones of rebirth and rebellion – can help spread hope and the fire that fueled the Rebellion.”

Finn felt his face heat up. He didn't deserve all this praise, did he? All he's done for the Resistance was follow his gut, and that somehow made him a hero.

“Don't give me that look, Captain,” Leia said. “You deserve every bit of praise you receive. You and your friends are the spark of this new rebellion.”

Finn looked at Suralinda, who shared a warm smile with him.

 

At long last, Finn was able to collapse on his bed and soak in the success of his mission. People all over the base had already started treating him a little differently. Even the ones who were sticklers about calling him “Captain” before had begun to refer to him as “Finn.”

His door hissed open and Poe stepped in, tailed closely by BB-8. The droid launched itself up onto the bed next to Finn and started nuzzling against him. Finn laughed. “That tickles, BB-8.”

Poe sauntered up to the bed with a cool smile on his face. He sat down next to BB-8 and put his hand on Finn's.

“I kept my promise,” Finn said, turning his hand over and taking Poe's in his.

Poe nodded. “You did. And you're right – I have to learn to sleep with you being in potentially mortal peril.” He considered for a moment. “Or just forbid you to go on missions with Sura anymore.”

“She's something else,” Finn agreed. “But this wouldn't have worked without her.”

“Or without you,” Poe added. “It was your story. She just recorded it.”

“Words are powerful things,” Finn said, falling onto his back.

Poe nodded. “They are. I used to think actions were all that mattered, but Leia has been trying to drill it into my head how important emotion and words are, too.” He leaned back to lay next to Finn, stopping for a quick kiss on the way down. “And you've really helped bring that point home today.”

“Do you really think we'll be able to gather enough people to take on the First Order?” Finn asked.

Poe sighed. “I can't really answer that. But the Rebellion took down the Empire, and we're not much different than them at this point. Maybe it's time to break out the old war stories from the Admirals. See if we can use history to repeat it.”

Finn tightened his grip on Poe's hand with one hand and rubbed BB-8's dome with the other. “All I know is that seeing those kids in that line like that really helped me realize that this _is_ my fight now. It's not me tagging along with you or Rey or Rose. I have things to fight for.”

Poe didn't look at Finn, but he gave a tired smile. “And as long as you're fighting, so am I.”

Finn liked the sound of that. He closed his eyes, tired from his trip, and let the world slip away, tethered solely by the feel of Poe's hand in his.

 _This is_ my _rebellion, too._

 


End file.
